United States Consul General Valerie Belon hosted a group of artists participating in Plein Air Curacao to paint the scenic views of Punda and Otrabanda from her residence patio on Monday, August 29. The group included one artist from Curacao and a number of artists from the United States.
Plein Air Curaçao is a new art festival on Curaçao. It presents an opportunity for cultural exchange and the celebration of Curacao’s people, beautiful tropical landscapes and unique architecture through painting.
Plein air painting is generally considered to mean painting live, outdoors. Plein air painters can paint in any medium and are not restricted to a particular style of painting. From a practical standpoint, plein air paintings are usually made in a few hours in order to capture the light before it changes, making plein air paintings particularly evocative of a sense of place, time and the emotional feeling at the moment of creation.
The plein air movement has had several phases dating back to 19th century France and the advent of the paint tube, allowing paint to be stable and portable. In the United States, early plein air painting centered on the Hudson Valley and later in California. In recent years, the movement has spread from California across the United States, Canada, Europe, and now to Curacao.
Consul General Belon said, "This is a great opportunity to promote American artists and, at the same time, to promote Curacao’s unique beauty. I am delighted to have hosted these extremely talented artists and to have been able to share with them the view of historic downtown Punda and Otrabanda, which we are very fortunate to have here at the Consulate."
Plein Air Curaçao is occurring from August 29th to September 3rd. The event includes a series of paint-outs, workshops, other educational opportunities, exhibition and sale of the paintings produced during the festival. See www.PleinAirCuracao.com for more information and updates.